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Regional Transportation Commission buses travel downtown in this 2010 file photo.
By Kyle B. Hansen (contact) 
Published Thursday, Aug. 11, 2011 | 1:36 p.m.
Updated Thursday, Aug. 11, 2011 | 6:10 p.m.
RTC board has no resolution
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KSNV coverage of the results of meeting with the Regional Transportation Commission's board which was unable to come to a resolution and approve a contract to operate the valley's public bus system. August 11, 2011.
Sun Archives
- RTC rescinds contract, putting bus system in limbo (7-14-2011)
- RTC makes move toward overturning controversial bus contract (7-11-2011)
- Attorney general overturns RTC board’s vote on bus contract (7-8-2011)
- Commission ducks protest over bus-system contract (6-9-11)
- New company gets $83 million contract to operate bus system (5-19-11)
- RTC expected to reduce services for disabled paratransit riders (5-19-11)
- RTC negotiating with new company to run bus system (5-10-11)
Sun coverage
The wheels on the bus contract debate continue going around and around, but no progress has been made.
After a nearly four-hour debate Thursday, the Regional Transportation Commission’s board was unable to come to a resolution and approve a contract to operate the valley’s public bus system.
Board members voted 4-4 twice on different proposals: One to deny giving the bus contract to First Transit, as RTC staff suggested, and start the process over; and one to award the contract to First Transit.
Since the board couldn’t get votes to approve the contract or approve starting over, the issue stays at a stalemate until at least the next board meeting, scheduled for Sept. 8.
Board members’ votes Thursday were consistent with their earlier votes and comments.
Henderson Councilwoman Debra March, Boulder City Mayor Roger Tobler, North Las Vegas Councilman Robert Eliason and Mesquite Councilman Kraig Hafen voted for First Transit to get the contract. County commissioners Larry Brown and Chris Giunchigliani, and Las Vegas Councilman Steve Ross and Councilwoman Lois Tarkanian voted for Veolia Transportation to get the contract.
The contract, worth about $83 million annually, has been the subject of intense lobbying and debate since it could move operation of the valley’s bus system from Veolia, one of the largest transportation companies in the world, to another.
First Transit’s bid for the contract was nearly $50 million less over the possible seven-year life of the contract than Veolia’s, but some board members said they were concerned that First Transit underbid and would be unable to provide quality service.
In May, the board voted 4-3 to approve the contract.
But Tarkanian, who had just been appointed to the board to replace former Mayor Oscar Goodman, wasn't at the meeting. While the four votes met the majority of the board members present, it wasn’t the five votes needed to be a majority of all board members.
Attorneys for Veolia protested at the next commission meeting, saying state law requires the board to act by a majority vote of all members, regardless of whether they are present.
Both Veolia and the RTC requested an opinion from the office of Nevada Attorney General Catherine Cortez Masto. The office responded in July, saying the law did apply to the RTC and the board would need to rescind its vote or face action by the state.
The board rescinded the contract at its July meeting.
Veolia already has agreed to extend its existing contract up to a year to give the commission time to repeat the bidding and contract process. The current contract expires at the end of September.
Sounds like some of that $50 million difference in contract price may be finding itself in some commissioner's pockets.
Well, $83 million annually is a fantastic price for any bus system. Truly the current provider does an excellent job. And the biggest risk to the capitalists is not getting their workers to show up on time. By changing providers the risk is workers may become less reliable, get fired, go on welfare, sell drugs, prostitute and commit robberies just to survive.
Now that would be great for the local PD and prison industries but would be costly to tax payers (That is to say whoever can't afford lobbyists).
So please keep in mind it's a choice between a working system with a phenomenally good price (83 mil) and life under conservative values.
It's a no brainier to me.
This is a joke and all of the board of commissioners need to be terminated. All they do is talk and talk and talk. Nothing is ever accomplished. Especially Chris G. I have come to a point where I need to move away from this under construction town. The General Attorney should have the RTC Board drug tested. What a poor group of representatives.
It does appear that Larry Brown, Chris G., Steve Ross and Lois Tarkanian have been bought and paid for by Veolia.
For those unaware, Veolia operated California's Metrolink trains. Despite repeated warnings to Veolia officials about a train engineer's dangerous use of his cell phone and text messaging while operating the train, they did nothing to correct the situation.
He later blew through a red stop signal, because he was texting at the time. 25 people were killed and 101 injured in the resulting catastrophic crash in Chatsworth, which the National Transportation Safety Board has blamed on the engineer's texting.
Veolia hid behind, and continues to hide behind a $200 million statutory cap on damages, refusing to fully compensate the victims of its employees negligence.
Why would anybody looking out for the public's welfare ever vote to continue a contract with this disreputable company?
First of all, how dare someone like desertfox say that Larry Brown, Steve Ross, Chris Giunchigligliani and Lois Tarkanian have been bought or paid off by Veolia...does it mean that the other 4 were paid off by First Transit. How smart is that? Just that they know and like the better of the 2 choices. It is obvious who the better choice is by far. I have been using the buses in Las Vegas for some time and Veolia does a wonderful job. I also am disabled and can have use of the CAT which if you know is run by First Transit, I did try it a few times and it was terrible. The drivers are rude, unprofessional and never accommodating to your needs. Mr. Snow speaks of the movie "Groundhog Day" in his speech, he created this mess due to a personal conflict he MUST have with Veolia, knowing that they are the better choice, so he made his own mess, so now he has to deal with it. It was kind of corny Mr. Snow, not funny at all. If Jacob Snow was looking out for the best interest of the people of Las Vegas and Southern Nevada, he would have just signed another contract with Veolia and kept things as they were. The people of Mesquite blame Veolia for the lack of service, but those are the orders given to them by Mr. Snow at the RTC, does he tell that to the public??? NOOOOOO
The man that got up and stated that he shops at the 99 cents store but wouldn't buy his toilet paper there, summed it up perfectly. There are just some things that you can buy at a junk store, and some thngs you just don't. Picking First Transit would be like buying the toilet paper at the 99 cents store, I wouldn't want that either. I doubt very highly that their bid could even stay at what it is and if it did, it would make many unhappy employees with cuts in pay and terrible health insurance. The people I have become to know employed by Veolia are very happy there, so why take this away from them...they don't want to go. Unhappy employees do not do a good job, possibly why The First Transit employees I have come into contact with seemed to not like their job, case in point.
Lastly, enough about this California incident, it's so ridiculous that you mention it, what does California have to do with Las Vegas.
Maybe you need to read the facts and realize that this will impact the riders of Las Vegas and Southern Nevada with cuts in service and increases in fares if they go with First Transit...Wake UP!